


The Kids Are Alright: Where we are, and where we were

by TheHaven



Series: The Kids Are Alright [6]
Category: Green Arrow (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics), Titans (Comics)
Genre: Flashback, pre52 universe, the kids are alright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 07:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17039018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHaven/pseuds/TheHaven
Summary: Roy Harper has monitor duty, again. Talking to Lian makes it better, until she tells him what happened.Dick Grayson is on patrol, until he meets someone who hasn't been allowed in Gotham in years.Part of 'The Kids Are Alright' Universe!





	The Kids Are Alright: Where we are, and where we were

'And where we want to be'

Roy Harper has monitor duty. Again. He gets stuck with this a lot more than he should. But it beats being in an empty house all day. Been a few months since Lian went off to live in the Tower, and she’s doing just fine. Roy couldn’t be happier. Most times if she isn’t exhausted from whatever training Robin has them doing, or from missions, she’ll call him when he’s got monitor duty. To pass the time, tell him about her day. He looks forward to it. But she hasn’t called just yet. So Roy stares at the screens. Watching. Waiting. Fidgeting with an arrow sometimes when he’s feeling restless. Lets see..

Gotham: nothing.  
Opal: nothing.  
Twin cities: also nothing.  
And everywhere else?  
Nothing.

There’s a ring of his phone, and a notification. “Sharpshooter” it says. With a smiling picture of Lian. 

“Helloooo?”  
“Hey, dad.” Lian replies, tired, by the sound of it. It’s usually late when she calls.  
“Hey, kid. Whats up?”  
“Nothing much. We somehow managed to get Damian to help us decorate the tree.”  
“Damn, how about that. Should tell Dick that.”  
“Well I heard ‘shut up Grayson! It was for team morale!’ So I think he told him himself.”  
“Haha, that’s good. Little demon child is learning how to play nice.”  
“He is. Still wanna hit him over the head with my bow, though.” She complained.  
“I mean, so do I.”  
“Dad!”  
“I’m just joking, kiddo.” He laughed.  
“Oh…” She starts, but can’t figure out the words. “There was something I wanted to tell you about.”  
“Everything okay?”  
“Yeah. It’s just…”  
“Hey, you know you can head back home whenever you want, right?”  
“I know, I know. It’s just… Mom called me last night.”  
“She what?”

This wasn’t good, Cheshire? How did she get Lian’s number? Roy had just changed it last week. He always did. It had been almost two years since they last met, and it didn’t end well. Roy had the scar on his back to prove it. 

\-----  
Two years ago:  
“Jade, I don’t know how you got here. But you’re leaving. Right now.” The tone in Roy’s voice leaves no room for arguing, he’s done enough of it with her. She stood there, in front of his bed. With that smiling mask, with the blood stains that never seemed to come off.

“Oh, come on Harper. I just want to see her. Is that too much to ask?”  
“Yes. It is.” He said through gritted teeth.  
“Ugh, whatever.” She groaned as she strolled around his room. His room, she was in his room. His house. Why can she never leave him alone? Why can’t she let him and Lian have some peace? Why was she like this?  
“I’m going to tell you one more time, Jade.” He said, getting up from his bed and pulling an arrow from the quiver at his bedside.  
“Get out. Now” He warned. She laughed that laugh that always meant that was coming next, wasn’t gonna be good.  
“Roy, you’ve never been one to intimidate. Neither was the one with the beard. Now, i’m going to walk in, see my daughter. And leave.” She told him matter of factly.  
“No. You are not.” He said. She walked closer to him. He was almost shaking with anger.  
“Are you gonna stop me, sharpshooter?”

It was at that moment when Roy put his fist directly into her gut.  
“Gah!” She shrieked as the wind left her lungs. She reeled back before driving a clawed glove into his face, but Roy pushed it out of the way with his other hand.  
“Raah!” She shouted as she tackled him. Her clawed gloves sinking into his back.  
“AAAHH! AAAAAAAH!” He cried out, he could feel the blood coming out of the long lines of his back, sinking into the floor. 

“WHY. DO YOU. ALWAYS… RUIN. EVERYTHING?!” They shouted at each other. Fists flying into stomachs, blood falling from faces. 

“Stop it!” A young voice cries. Lian is standing in the doorway, with tears streaming down her voice. Shaking.  
“Get OUT” She cries harder. Cheshire gets up off of Roy and tries to collect herself. “Sweetie,I’m sorry… We were just, I’m sorry. I just wanted to see you.”  
She tried to explain, putting a hand out. She feels a sting on her hands as Lian smacks it away. 

“Leave us alone!!” She screams.  
“I don’t want to see you anymore! Get out!!” The screaming echoes in the room, and in their heads. Cheshire looked down at Roy, he couldn’t see it. But there her face said that she was sorry.  
“Roy.. I—“  
“Jade. Don’t make her say it again.”  
“Get out.”  
\-----

“What did she say?” Roy asked. She was silent on the other end of the phone. “Lian?”  
“She, saw us on the news. She said that I did good. She was proud.” She remembered.  
“She didn’t say anything about wanting to meet, though.”  
“Okay, okay. But how did she get your number?”  
“I don’t know… But it scared me.”  
“I know it did, kid. You wanna just stay on the phone a bit longer?” There’s another bit of silence, and a sigh.  
“Yeah.”  
“Okay.”  
It’s a few hours before she falls asleep, Roy tells her about the Watchtower, and all the things in the trophy they’ve gotten over the years. The trips to space. And how he always vetoed going because space wasn’t for him. How the training room in the Tower, had a amazing shooting range that they could use whenever they wanted. What it was like when he first met Superman, how he made you feel important, no matter who you are. How knowing that he was disappointed in you was the worst feeling you could have. 

Lian tells him about Irey and how when she was sad, you would know. She’s not the best at hiding how she feels. How great she’s been at getting Damian to cooperate with everyone, and having him relax with everyone. How Kaldur had been a bit in his shell, but if you ask him about a boy he likes, or his adventures with Garth. He perks up and spins a story about treasure and adventure. And there’s a faint sound of slow breathing.

“Kid?” Roy whispered. She’s out. Finally.

“G’night, sharpshooter.” And then Roy’s back to monitor duty. Still nothing. But there’s that thought in the back of his head as he stares at the screens.

How did Cheshire find them?

\-----

Dick Grayson leaps from rooftop to rooftop. He misses when the wind used to flow through his hair as Nightwing. But on the other hand, being able to leap off a building and use his cape to glide as Batman was about as satisfying. He fired off a grappling hook to the nearest gargoyle to allow himself a rest. He drank in the Gotham night, all the stars. The towering buildings. The moving cars. All one giant, constantly moving unit. It never sleeps. 

“Nice night, isn’t it.” A voice says as there's a noise of landing onto the gargoyle adjacent to him.  
Jason Todd.  
The Red Hood.

Dick leaps from his gargoyle to tackle him, crashing into his solid armored chest. The tumble through the air before Dick can get a hand free to fire a shot at the nearest rooftop.  
They stumbled across the hard floor before getting themselves back up. Jason dusted himself off and readjusted his helmet.

“Ya done?” He asked.  
“Why are you here?” Dick demanded. Jason hadn’t been allowed in Gotham ever since he fought Bruce for the first time since he returned from the dead. Jason shrugged.  
“I heard our little brother made himself some friends. Wanted to meet them for myself.” He explained. Dick took a step closer.  
“If you go near any of them. We’re coming for you. Understand?” Dick was uncomfortably close as he stared into the reflection of Jason’s mask. “Remember last time? With Tim?” He asked him. Jason chuckled. “Seeing you that mad… Man was it worth breaking that kid’s arm.” He remembered. “I’ll be back, brother o mine.” He waved as he walked away and set a foot on the edge of the roof. “And tell the big bad bat I said ‘hey’. Okay? Okay.”  
“Oh, and it’s not gonna last. His little team, they’re all gonna realize just how fucked he really is. And then he’ll realize it’s a lot easier to be like me.” He warned. And with that, he stepped off the ledge and let himself fall into the night. Dick stepped forward. No sign of him.

Bastard.


End file.
